Virginia Wesleyan University will become Batten University on July 1, 2026.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST PRACTICES // April 2026

Elizabeth Malcolm and Travis Malone wrote the case study "Cultivating Sustainability Leaders: The Impact of the Batten Honors College at Virginia Wesleyan University," for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's resource website and earned Outstanding Case Study recognition.

Sara Ryan's essay, "Instructions for Viewing," on photography, live streams, and the predatory gaze, was published in Waxwing Literary Journal's Winter Issue, Volume XXXV.

Lisa Lyon Payne and two co-authors published "Standing on the shoulders: student journalists at HBCUs carry legacy of their craft and their institutions" in Media Practice and Education. The study explores the shared values and indicators of health among student-run news organizations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through the lens of institutional theory.

Scott D. Miller serves as executive editor of the President to President thought leadership series. The ninth chapter of the 2025-26 series, Intentional Efforts in Belonging, is now available online. In "The Impact of Connection," Fairmont State University President Michael K. Davis, Ph.D., shares ideas for building relationships through small moments of connection that celebrate campus culture. He explains how leaders can make themselves seem more accessible to students by creating opportunities for personal engagement, whether that means attending campus events or handing out branded items that cultivate campus pride. President Miller shares daily reflections and leadership perspectives on his blog, Dialogue.

Clair Berube presented a paper titled "STAR Teacher Traits and Turnover in Urban STEM Classrooms" at the VACTE (Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Education) Conference at GMU.

Tyler A. Lehrer, along with several international collaborators, presented as part of a round table, "Sacred Island, Worldly Realities: Post-War Buddhism in Sri Lanka," at the 2026 Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. An edited volume of the same name, in which Tyler has contributed a chapter, is currently under review.

Shalyn Lapke presented "Closing the Gap: AI Integrated Teaching Methods and Student Preparedness for Technology Enabled Accounting Roles" at the Southern Association of Information Systems (SAIS) in Asheville, North Carolina. This work was selected through a competitive peer-review process, highlighting Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Pedagogy. This research is ongoing.

Stephen Hock presented a paper titled "Pynchon 2025: One Battle after Another and Shadow Ticket as Pynchonian Regenerations," as part of a panel that he chaired on the topic of "(Re)generating Pynchon" at the Northeast Modern Language Association convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Taryn Myers presented a talk, "Feminist beliefs and identification in gender expansive individuals: Relation to media pressures, gender dysphoria, and body image," and was a coauthor on another, "Benefits, barriers, and backlash: College students' perspectives on feminism" at the virtual conference of the Association for Women in Psychology.

Ben Haller presented his paper titled, "Polycrates's Delia, Egypt, and his Plans for an Ionian Expedition," part of the larger book project which began with his Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies fellowship a few years ago, at the annual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. Haller also chaired a panel on the Third and Fourth Century Roman at the annual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.

Denise Wilkinson presented the session, "Engaging Students through Intentional Motivation," at the 2026 Innovative Teaching & Learning virtual Conference (ITLC).

April Christman presented an ethics workshop, "AI and the Future of Social Work Practice: Bridging the Ethical Gap in Professional Standards," at the National Association of Social Workers VA/Metro DC 2026 Annual Conference. This presentation was approved by the Association of Social Work Boards Approved Continuing Education program to award attendees 1.5 continuing education hours toward clinical license renewal.

Allison Hammer served as a speaker and mentor at the Young Professionals Networking Panel during the Environment Virginia Symposium at Virginia Military Institute. She shared insights from her work as an adjunct instructor at VWU and as a soil scientist and GIS specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

OTHER

Benjamin Haller was appointed Chair of the Classics in the Community Committee of the Society for Classical Studies, the national professional organization for Latin and Greek languages and literatures. The committee helps to manage Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities grants for outreach programming within local communities and to organize cultural events at the annual meeting of SCS.

Tyler A. Lehrer spoke to the appx. 400 Spanish, French, German, and Latin language students at Hickory High School in Chesapeake for World Languages Week about studying global languages and cultures, his research and travel in South and Southeast Asia, and about diverse career paths and service opportunities in global studies.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Alexis Barmoh, along with five recreational therapy students from the Sport & Recreation Professions Department, attended the Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium. The students engaged in networking, explored current research and best practices, discussed emerging trends in RT, and participated in educational sessions. This experience provided valuable skill development and real-world exposure beyond the classroom setting.